The Constant Sea Invaders
by spearz
Summary: Will decides to go up to Skandia to study the Heron's sail plan with Horace accompanying him. But what they find there will shock everyone.
1. Prolouge

A lone figure swayed drunkenly in his saddle as he rode along, singing as he went while playing very badly on a mandola.

"The great big king and the wobbly dragon…" He sang as he drank some more ale.

Little did he know that from the trees on the side of the road he was being watched by four pairs of eyes.

"Look at him." One of the men said, clearly the boss of the group. "He's probably got a nice fat purse on him." The others chuckled darkly.

"So when do we jump 'im boss?" a scrawny man fingering a knife asked.

"Now!" the boss yelled as he ran forward

He didn't even make it a meter before an arrow appeared in his neck as it did for another two. The fourth one seeing the fate of his companions turned around and ran back to the woods. He didn't make it far before an arrow appeared in his back.

Will pulled back his hood, all pretense of being drunk gone. He looked down at the bodies and regretted not taking one alive. However his work was done and he had to get back to headquarters.

"Hey, I've been thinking." Will said as he set down two cups of coffee

"Always a dangerous past time." said Halt

Will continued on ignoring Halt's remark. "You know that ship Gundar had?"

"The one with the bird sail." Halt replied

"Yeah, that one." Will said. "I was thinking that the ship plan could improve our current ships."

Halt looked at him. "That could work; of course you'd have to go to Skandia to copy the design."

"I know and I was also thinking of bringing Horace." Will said.

"Horace, why Horace?" Halt asked.

"Because from the letters he's sent me; it sounds like he's extremely bored of castle life." Will replied.

"And you think Skandians can cheer him up?" Halt asked.

Will just stared at him.

"Alright that was a stupid question." Halt said. "I'll talk to Crowley about it."


	2. Broken Ship

"Sail on the port side" Jesper called.

Hal quickly looked up from his map and ran to port, sure enough there was a sail but he couldn't make out whose sail it was. "Thorn" Hal called.

"I'm here" Thorn said next to him. "But that sail's not Skandian"

"Whose is it?" Hal asked.

"Nothing I've ever seen." Thorn replied, "But that thing's bigger than the _Raven_."

"Up port sail" Hal called as he sat back in the tiller. "Let's go meet 'em."

The _Heron_ made a smooth turn to port and glided over the waves toward the other ship. Hal saw a commotion on board, when the _Heron_ came up on its port side they figured out why. There was a huge hole in the starboard side. It must have been over a meter in diameter.

"Gorlog's beard, that must've taken a huge rock to make that hole." Stig said.

"Whatever it was we gotta help them" Hal said.

"But if that thing goes down we'll go with it" Stig protested.

Hal ignored the protest and called for grapple hooks.

"Damn it" Stig cursed before running toward the side.

The grapple hooks bit into the wood and the crew of the _Heron_ swarmed over the rail. They saw a catastrophic scene, dead men everywhere they looked but most were wounded by sword wounds. There were people running around and Hal only ten.

"Who the hell are you?" Someone asked. Hal turned to see a man approach them his sword drawn. However from how he held the sword and how he stood that he was no swordsman.

"I think that's our question to ask not yours," Stig replied, "You're in the ones in Skandian waters.

"Skandians, so we did make it," He said sheathing his sword, "Come on we need help."

Everyone was so shocked none of them moved until Hal finally jolted into action.

"What do you need us to do?" Hal asked.

"I'll ask Leonus, hold on." He said turning around. He ran towards an older man and spoke a few words to him. The man looked at the crew and started walking towards them.

"In all my days I never thought I'd be happy to see a foreigner, but you might have just saved all our lives. Now do you have room for ten more?" He asked.

"Of course but what about your boat?" Hal asked.

"It's too late for her but at least we can save some people." Leonus said.

"Alright everyone back to the boat!" Hal called and everyone started running toward the _Heron_. As soon as everyone was on board they cut the grapple hooks and sailed away. While staring back at the boat Hal noticed that Stig had come up next to him.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Hal asked

"Yep that boat could have been saved." Stig replied.

"It seems we have some very interesting passengers with us." Hal said.


	3. Reunion

**I'm so sorry this took so long to get out but here's the next chapter so read and review**

"Gundar" Will called to the giant figure.

"Will Treaty, I haven't seen you in ages" Gundar Hardstriker called back as he lumbered toward Will pulling him in for a bear hug nearly crushing Will's ribs in the process.

"Good… to see… you too… now put… me down." Will gasped. Gundar released him and he sprawled on the ground.

"Ow, that hurt" Will groaned. He slowly got up from the ground

"Heh, sorry 'bout that." Gundar said.

"Do you know where Horace is? He was supposed to meet me here." Will asked.

"Nah, ain't seen him." Gundar replied

"Will." Someone shouted.

Will spun around and saw Horace striding towards him

"Horace" Will smiled as he saw him.

"I haven't seen you for years." Horace said catching up to him and embracing him.

"Only two years, old friend" Will said.

"Old friend? When did you become so … Halt-like?" Horace asked.

"Maybe it was after I got married. Speaking of which how's Cassandra?"

"She's as beautiful as ever and as stubborn as ever, but enough talk are we going to get on the ship?"

"Of course, excited to see Skandia again?"

"It's been too long and knowing Gundar's ship we should only be at sea for a week or two"

"Speaking of which" Gundar said.

"Right, we should be off" Will said as he got onto the ship.

"No Halt on this voyage?" Horace asked.

Will looked back at him and smiled. "Nope no Halt."


	4. Confrontation

Hal ran into the Great Hall with his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Erak" He called.

"Hal, what's the matter my boy?" Erak asked.

"You better come see for yourself" Hal replied.

Hal ran out of the great hall with Erak and the others trailing behind him. A little ways from the door Erak stopped and stood there agape. In front of him his city was burning, not that much the city was designed to survive fires. What had him standing there were the dark shapes of figures as they fought in the flames.

"We're under attack Erak, we gotta do something." Hal shouted over the roaring fires. Erak ran back to the great hall, grabbed his axe and ran yelling the time-worn battle cry of the Skandians.

"Let's get 'em boys" He shouted. All the Skandians ran after him screaming at the top of their lungs. The fighters took one look at the Skandians and all of them ran back to the bay, some were pursuing most were just running for a more defensible position. When the fighters reached the bay the strangest thing happened they stopped running formed up in formation and waited for the Skandians to come to them.

Hal took one look at the formation and instantly knew it was a trap. "Stop!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, but the Skandians had their blood boiling from rage. They mostly ignored him and continued to run at them. Had the Skandians kept up their original speed they might have had a chance. The soft sand slowed all but the most sure footed who thought that they would crush this enemy. When they reached them they were met with a wall of steel shields and blades poking out of the gaps in the shields. The first Skandians to reach the wall were almost instantly slaughtered; the next wave fared little better. Whoever these invaders were they were cutting down Skandians like pigs in a slaughter.

"Stop" Hal yelled, but of the hundred or so Skandians running only about fifteen listened to him. "Gorlog's Beard what are they doing?"

"Hal, they won't stop, they're Skandians" a voice behind him said. Hal spun around to see Leonus standing there with a sword. He immediately pulled out his own sword and took up his stance only to be met by laughter by Leonus.

"You think you could stand a chance against me." Leonus said.

"I can try." Hal said. Hal lunged toward him only to be met by air as Leonus casually sidestepped to the left. Hal swung his sword in a blow that would have split him in half, but Leonus jumped back. Hal, already unbalanced from the lunge, fell backwards. Leonus decided to make this quick so he stepped up to him and just as he was about to stab down a shape hurled itself at him. He felt hands grabbing him and pulling him up.

"Come on Skirl, It's not good to keep falling down." Jesper yelled over the fire and the sounds of battle. Hal looked back at the beach and visibly paled. The invaders formation was still standing in the sea of dead Skandians.

"Where's the rest of the crew?" Hal asked looking around hoping to see them.

"They're getting the _Heron_ ready for sail, all except me and Stig of course." Jesper said pointing towards the two shapes fighting. It looked as if Stig had Leonus pinned on the ground and was continually punching him in the face.

"Stig!" Hal yelled causing Stig to look up, "get back to the_ Heron_." Stig looked back down at Leonus hit him one more time and left him there bleeding out on the sand.

"You're dead" croaked Leonus, "You can't run from us, We'll find whatever hole you hide in, we'll crush you when you try to fight."

Hal walked over crouched down next to him "It looks to me like you're the one who's dead."

At this Leonus smiled looked at Hal then said "Then I'll take you with me." Leonus took his sword and ran Hal through with it.

3 Days Earlier

Hal strode into the Great Hall and walked up to Erak "We need to talk."

"What is it?" Erak asked

"It's about the ship we found the other day." Hal said

Erak looked around at the crowded interior and said "let's go to my quarters to talk about this." He got up and walked down the hall to his quarters with Hal on his heels. When they got there Erak pulled up a chair and sat down in it. "Now what about this ship."

"Well it's not so much the ship as the crew members" Hal said taking a seat for himself "I keep getting this weird feeling that their not telling us everything."

"That's why were keeping them in the bay area." Erak said

"We'll that's just the thing I think they want us to keep them there."

"They're watched by two guards changed every three hours, there's no way they could do any damage."

"Yeah I guess you're right, sorry for bothering you."

"I don't mind, I'd rather you tell me of your concerns than keep them bottled up."

However reassuring the Oberjarl's words were Hal left there feeling extremely concerned about these outsiders.

**I'm so sorry this took so long to get out but here it is. I would like to thank all those who reviewed and I would appreciate more reviews. I also will take suggestions because I'm running a little short of ideas. So Read & Review.**


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